


Unsurprising Surprises

by jayy (spaloozey)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I just wanted to contribute, Nostalgia, Oneshot, birthday planning, can be seen as platonic though, dad jokes, happy birthday pidge, i wish i could write more but it's 2 am and i'm tired and going to bed, light birthday angst, not that bad i promise i'm going easy on you here, plance/pidgance/flirtyrobot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-03
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-10-14 09:29:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10533669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spaloozey/pseuds/jayy
Summary: Pidge doesn't want to celebrate her birthday, and Lance doesn't want one of his best friends looking so sad.





	

**Author's Note:**

> my contribution to all the birthday angst surrounding pidge's birthday. it's fluffier than most for those who need a break from the feels fest (cause i know i do). hope you enjoy!

"Hey, has anyone seen Pidge?" Lance asked, peering around the doorway to the kitchen to glance inquiringly at Hunk and Keith. 

Both of them shrugged their shoulders in response. "Not today." Keith said. "She didn't come to morning training, kind of like a certain slacker blue paladin I happen to know.

Lance shrugged. "Hey, I had some prime skin care to attend to. That desert we flew through was killer on my pores!" he shuddered.

Hunk nodded his agreement. "Oh man yeah and it was so HOT. I haven't seen Pidge since we came back from that mission. Maybe she got sunburn?"

Lance scrunched up his face. "If that's the case then this is an emergency." he urged. He turned away from his friends and waved over his shoulder. "Thanks for the info!" he yelled, before hurrying out the door.

The boy darted off in the direction of the younger green paladin's room in a hurry, slamming into the wall next to her door in his momentum. "Woops.." he mumbled, before propping himself up and hitting the button next to him on the wall. "Pidge!" he said, "I'm coming in!", and just like that he toppled into the darkness of her room. 

The place was a mess. Lance was affronted by the way Pidge kept her room. His room would never get this bad! And he was a guy! There were clothes scattered all over the place, little bags and snack wrappers strewn in between. On the desk next to her bed, about a million different wires were tangled into a disorganized heap, some connected to tech on her wall and bed, and others leading who-knows-where powering who-knows-what. It seemed incredibly dangerous. And her bed was no better. Pillows and sheets and blankets were pushed this way and that, not seeming to have any coherence to normal bed-keeping standards, or sleeping in them, for that matter. But one of them definitely had the distinct lump of Pidge's sleeping form underneath, so Lance grabbed the edge of it.

"Pidge." he urged her. "Wake up. I need to treat your skin." 

The blanket did nothing but moan in response.

  
"I'm gonna tear this blanket off you." he warned. But the bulge didn't move or respond at all

Lance sighed, and prepared to do as he had warned, bracing himself against the bed before pulling. There was a short tug of resistance for a second, but after another tug the blanket came flying off, revealing Pidge's bedridden form. There were tears in her eyes, and her eyes were red and puffy.

"Pidge.." Lance trailed off, eyes widening. "Are you crying?" he asked.

The girl in question bolted upright, snatching her glasses off the shelf and shoving them onto her face, rubbing at her nose with a hand. "No." she mumbled. "I was just sleepin'."

Lance gave her a dubious look. "No you weren't." he sighed. He sat down on the bed next to her and put a tentative arm on her shoulder. Pidge stiffened slightly, but didn't pull away, instead opting to merely avoid his gaze. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

Pidge frowned. "Nothing." she lied, "It's just allergies.

Lance crossed his arms. "That's not true and you know it. Now are you gonna make me wait here all day or are you going to tell me what's got you bothered?"

Pidge sighed. "Fine. I'll tell you. Just don't tell anyone else, okay? I'll kill you if you do." 

Lance believed it. "Alright, alright! I won't tell anyone. Geez."

"Good." she praised, before shifting into a more comfortable position on the bed, readying herself to talk. "The thing is.. tomorrow is my birthday." she admitted.

Lance's eyebrows raised. "Wait, it is?! Why didn't you tell us?!" he all-but shouted, and Pidge sighed.

"Gee, I dunno, maybe cause I didn't want anyone to know?" she hissed, clearly starting to lose her patience. "Look, I just don't wanna celebrate it okay? It's not right. I can't do it this year."

Lance's scrutinized her. "Why not?" he asked, not understanding her hesitance. Why in the universe wouldn't someone want to celebrate their own birthday?

"Because.. because it'll be the only year I don't spend it with my family."

Lance felt her words hit him like a ton of bricks. "Oh.. um.. right." he stuttered out, getting embarrassed now. "I'm sorry."

Pidge let out a puff of air, blowing her bangs out of her face. "S'no problem. I didn't expect you to know." she sighed, and Lance felt the stab of guilt in his lungs.

He should've known though. He should've made the connection like that. "Still.." he mumbled, fumbling and trying to figure out a good place to put his hands. He settled for his lap. "You should get the chance to take a day for yourself.. I mean, it wouldn't be that different from having a party with your friends right? If you celebrated with us?"

Lance could immediately tell from her expression that no, it wouldn't be alright with her, but he sat stock still, heart hammering in his chest as he waited for her to explain. "Usually I'd plan a party on the weekends to go out and see a movie with my friends. Then we'd have a sleepover. Eat cake. Play stupid games and pass out. General sleepover-stuff. But.. with my family, there was a catch." she said, and Lance sat forward, desperate to hear the rest. Pidge looked him in the eye, amber orbs sharp as daggers behind her gilded rims. "I always had to tell my dad the date." she said. There was a pause. 

Lance took the bait, eager to hear Pidge's story. "Why?"

Pidge smiled at him, a smile long and sad and utterly unbefitting of someone as small and young as her. "Because he'd always plan a surprise party the night before." she said, her voice lilting with a nostalgic bit of humor in it.

Lance looked dubious. "Always?" he whispered.

  
Pidge's smile transformed into an intoxicating gloat. "Every year." she confirmed, tipping her chin to the side to give him that classic proud side-eye. "He'd do it for Matt's birthday too. He'd set up decorations the day before and get one of us to play the helper for the birthday kid. We had to take each other on day-long outings so we couldn't see him decorating, but we always knew why we were going. After the second surprise party you'd figure he'd at least wait a few years before trying one again, but no.." Pidge chuckled. "He'd do it every time. And we'd play along."   


Lance found himself in awe, if even a bit jealous, of all the time and dedication that must have gone into that, to keep that tradition alive for so many years. "He sounds like a very funny Dad." Lance admitted.   
  
Pidge smirked. "He's practically the worst. Did you know he has a whole bookshelf full of Dad jokes? A whole shelf! And we've heard, every, one of them." she complained, looking utterly exasperated at her father's antics. Lance laughed.

"Oh man, I'd love to see that!" he said. "I've always wanted to be the punny dad."   
  
Pidge frowned. "There's no way I'm letting you near his collection then." she blanched, miffed. "But yeah." she said, reverting back to the old topic so she didn't have to fight Lance on that one. "He always did silly little things like that. Even though the surprise parties weren't ever all that great, knowing we'd always get them every year was so.." Pidge struggled to find the right word, "..comforting." she finally said. The air staled. 

Lance turned his toward the girl to see the tears start to form in her eyes once again, and his heart missed a beat. "Pidge." he whispered, but the girl shushed him. 

"We were supposed to get them every year, Lance, until were eighteen.." she vented, the words coming out harder and sharper now, making Lanec stiffen. Pidge shot him a look that gave him the impression she wanted to punch his face in, but it wasn't directed at him. It was directed at her family's captors. "The Galra. They took that all the way." she choked out, her voice trembling and increasing in pitch. She sat upright and pulled her phone out of her pocket, staring blankly at the screen. Lance sat up slowly, watching her expression with caution and concern. "I keep waking up and expecting to get a text from him.. 'Hey Katie, your birthdays soon! Have you decided when your party's going to be? I've got plans the next few weekends so I really need to know'. I keep expecting him to see him around the rooms of the castle too, smiling like a dork. Isn't that stupid? He's imprisoned on a Galra ship somewhere, locked away.. But I can't seem to shake this feeling that at any moment, I could walk into a room and have the lights flick on, with his stupid smiling face popping up to yell surprise. It's.. I…" 

Lance hugged her. He couldn't stop himself, his emotions had taken full control. They seemed to take control of Pidge as well, because she Pidge broke down crying into his shirt, getting sloppy tears all over his chest. Lance deadpanned, but let her cry. He could tell she needed this, so he simply held her as she shook, letting all her emotions out on his favorite white and blue tee. Lance sighed.

"Are you okay?"

Pidge sniffed, and detached herself from him to wipe her nose on her sleeve, looking embarrassed. "Y-yeah.. I'm fine." she said, looking anywhere but at him. Lance let out a relieved sigh.

"It's good to get emotions off your chest."

"Yeah, but now they're all over yours." she blurted out, and immediately froze at what she said.  Lance looked down at his tear-stained shirt and smiled meekly before peeking back up at Pidge's expression. She had both hands over her mouth, trying desperately to contain her own laugh, and it just sent Lance over the edge. He burst out laughing and she did too, their humor echoing through the air in combination howls and wheezes, utterly amused with the lame tension-breaking joke.

"Pffff.." Lance breathed out, "That was ridiculous."

Pidge let out a tired half-laugh, grinning up at him. "I know. Maybe I've inherited the dad-joke genes after all."

Lance snorted. "You're gonna make me jealous." he warned her, and Pidge laughed.

"So, hey.." Pidge started, eyes darting towards Lance warily. "What would you say to a team voltron sleepover this weekend?"

Lance's eyes widened, but then his gaze softened, and he smiled. "Hmm.." he said with a suggesting tone. He scratched his chin mockingly, as though deep in thought. "I dunno. I'll have to ask the Universe when the next life-endangering adventure is planned."

Pidge rolled her eyes. "When isn't a life-endangering adventure planned?" she retorted, and Lance chuckled.

"I dunno. Maybe we'll get a  **_surprise_ ** break." he said, waggling his brows.

Pidge deadpanned. "Alright, time to get out of my room." she sighed.

"Okay." the boy agreed. 


End file.
